Traveling is a privilege most of us dream of experiencing. Growing up in an underserved community, I never thought I’d have access to a world outside of my neighborhood. It wasn’t until I traveled to Switzerland, and most of Europe, in my twenties that traveling became a pivotal part of how I saw the world. Everything I was taught to believe about living a good life became a myth. People seemed generally happy in their skin— something I regularly battled with.
Being comfortable with myself while traveling has always been challenging, especially in most of Europe. I have always struggled with the balance between enjoying my travels and wishing more people looked like me. These adversities encouraged me to search for connections with other people of color during my travels despite the cultural differences I faced. As I began traveling to more diverse countries, my interactions with others made me more aware of how crucial it is for us to travel.
These thoughts were amplified during my stay in Bali. While relaxing by the pool, and satisfying the itch to take vacation photos, I was approached by a young Balinese girl who complimented me on my skin tone. She shared that my “confidence” made her want to be comfortable in her brown skin, too. My heart dropped. A few days later, a similar interaction occurred while eating at a restaurant. A group of Balinese girls expressed they, too, wanted to be as “confident” in their skin as I was. Although these interactions were flattering, they were also a reminder of the battles women of color faced when learning to love and embrace their superpower: their skin tone.
Balinese women face pressure from beauty standards and a heavily European tourism climate. According to the young girl I interacted with by the pool, who has chosen to remain anonymous, most Balinese women don’t see their skin tone as beautiful and rarely spot women of color tourists. With the island being 90% Balinese, these young women are used to interacting within their culture. Thankfully, with more people moving to the island and support groups like Black in Bali, Balinese women will be more likely to feel empowered by Black women and other women of color living freely in their skin tone and will be encouraged to do the same.
When we travel, we are doing more than seeing the world. We are silently showing young Black and Brown girls what it’s like to push against the barriers that come with being a woman of color. This is why It’s important to make the travel space as diverse as possible; to show girls that all melanin, regardless of cultural background, is beautiful. We can feel good in our skin, travel, and look damn good while doing it, too.
